Sid's jottings

Article by: SID HARTMAN

Star Tribune

November 13, 2011 - 3:50 PM

• While Terry Ryan talked about a reduced payroll from some $115 million in 2011 to $100 million in 2012, the Pohlads have never turned down a request by a general manager to add payroll. One example was the re-signing of free- agent righthander Carl Pavano last season.

• Jack Morris, the pitching great who did some radio work for the Twins and was talking with them about being a minor league coach, said, "I have nothing going with the Twins for next year at the present time."

• Rest assured that former Vikings coach Brad Childress can have a spot on the Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff under Andy Reid next season. But don't be too surprised if Childress winds up as the coach of the Miami Dolphins.

• Harvey Mackay points out in his new book "The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World," which is his seventh New York Times bestseller, that four of the best NFL coaches had poor first-year records before winning the Super Bowl. Tom Landry was 0-11-1 with the Cowboys in 1960, and also with Dallas, Jimmy Johnson went 1-15 in 1989. Chuck Noll went 1-13 with the Steelers in 1969 and Bill Walsh 2-14 with the 49ers in 1979.

• Roseville's Mike Muscala, the Patriot League Player of the Year who had 12 points Friday in Bucknell's loss to the Gophers, was recruited to the Pennsylvania school by Dane Fischer, a 1998 Rochester John Marshall graduate in his fourth year as a Bison assistant. Former Gophers player Mitch Ohnstad, who coached Muscala in AAU ball, was in attendance Friday.

• Former Gopher Nick Leddy, a 2009 Wild first-round draft pick traded to Chicago in 2010, is having a great start to the NHL season. The 20-year-old leads all Blackhawks defensemen with 10 points (two goals, eight assists) and is fifth overall in scoring for the Central Division leaders.